The striking cover of Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive #523.1 by artists

Speaking to Maria Menounos (and transcribed by Bleeding Cool), Riddickstar and pop-culture avatar Vin Diesel revealed a “merging of brands” is set to take place between him at Marvel, which is presumably a wanky way of saying that the “Vin Diesel brand” (ie. Vin Diesel) will be in a run of Marvel movie in addition to his role voicing Groot in Guardians Of The Galaxy.

“When I met with Marvel it wasn’t for anything immediate,” explained Vin Diesel, “it was to talk about a film that would be introduced in the Phase 3 part of Marvel, not for a few years. You wouldn’t be able to see it for a few years. In my mind, Marvel were doing it right, they were enrolling me at the ground level which is the best way to enrol me.

“I had heard people over the last year, people saying on the social media page saying ‘What’s up Vin? Why aren’t you going to Marvel? Why aren’t you doing anything with Marvel? It would be a crime of cinematic history for you not to be in [Marvel movies]’

“So I was thinking ‘This Marvel thing is really becoming really important for these people. What can I do? What should I think about?’

Vin Diesel as Riddick in Riddick: Rule The Dark

“I get the call, I go down to Marvel. A great meeting. It was even talking about something so big I can’t even talk about because it’s like the merging of brands in a way, which I won’t get into. That was something way, way, way, way, way down the road.”

The mention of 2016 and Marvel Phase 3 could lend credence to the rumour that Vin Diesel could be taking on the role of Black Panther in a clutch of solo movies, and perhaps Avengers 3.

It’s certainly a role more suited to his physicality than, say, Doctor Strange, although some might object to the ethnically mixed actor playing the role of an African prince – there’s nothing to stop Marvel Studios toying with the background a bit, is there?

Alternatively – though it’s not come up in a while – he could be playing the role of invulnerable ex-con and street smart bad-ass Luke Cage in a Heroes For Hire movie, which would certainly appeal to the Fast & The Furious portion of his fanbase.